1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical modulation method for a liquid crystal layer. The invention relates to a liquid crystal device or liquid crystal display device using such an optical modulation method. The invention also relates to a driving method for a liquid crystal layer whose liquid crystal molecules forming the upper and bottom surfaces of the layer have their alignment directions parallel to each other for the upper and the bottom, and to a liquid crystal device or liquid crystal display device based on the driving method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been proposed various methods for reducing power consumption in a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device is comprised of a variety of structural elements, and in terms of each of the structural elements, many kinds of methods are considered for reducing power consumption. For example, there is a method for reducing power consumption using a liquid crystal material capable of being driven with a low voltage, and such a method has been tried on various kinds of liquid crystal materials.
However, the method, first of all, requires a great deal of time and efforts to find a new liquid crystal material capable of being driven with a desired low voltage. Further, even if such a new material was found, there would be cases where its reliability is in doubt in other technical aspects, for example, about whether the durability, operation stability and more are adequate.
Meanwhile, in an information display terminal such as a recent portable device or a so-called wearable device, there are increasingly growing needs for power saving. More user-friendly products are demanded that allow many hours of operation in a limited power supply capacity and do not force users to perform frequent battery charging. Further, from another point of view, such awareness is increased over the society that power saving of products leads to saving of power resources and therefore has a favorable impact on our global environment.